La Paz Staying and Getting Around

La Paz is a good place to take a city sightseeing tour. It eliminates walking up steep streets and avoids the problems with the minibuses and taxis. One of the better options to get started is to take the city circle tour. This is a double-decker bus that runs on two fixed circuits. If you wish to do the whole sightseeing tour, the operators suggest you start at the Main Stop at the Plaza Isabel la Catolica.

The bus has a very sophisticated audio system which allows a simultaneous narration in 7 languages. Every seat has an individual selector for the language and complementary headphones are included for each passenger.

During the city tour, there are two stops of 10 minutes each: On the Downtown Circuit it is at "Mirador Killi Killi" and on the South Circuit it is at "Moon Valley". Neither is long enough to really see the place but it gives you an idea of where you wish to return to. The cost is BS 50 per circuit

An alternative is to do the four hour Flavour of La Paz tour. This operates in the afternoon. This visits Alonzo de Mendoza Sq, San Francisco church, Miraflores, Murillo Sq, Killi Killi and Moon Valley. Pick-up is from most city hotels and the entrance fee for Moon Valley is included. This operates all year with a bilingual guide.

A further option is the three-hour City Night Tour & Folkloric Show ‘La Paz the Enchanted City’ . This visits Main Plaza, Metropolitan Cathedral, Government Palace, and Mirador Killi Killi. The tour finishes in a restaurant with traditional Bolivian cuisine and a Folkloric show.

Rather than doing any of these we organised a private tour through a local agent. We were picked up at the hotel and then taken to Moon Valley and to a number of places within the city. We had an English-speaking guide and could determine exactly where we wanted to go and how long we stayed there. Naturally we sought the guide’s suggestions but ultimately it was our decision. While this cost more than the standard tour we felt that the advantages were many and would recommend this option highly.

Getting around La Paz can be difficult. The city is built in a canyon so many streets are steep and not particularly conducive to walking. The easiest (but not necessarily the safest) way to get around is by taxi, but it helps to know a bit of Spanish. They aren't metered, so agree on a fare before boarding; a ride within downtown should be about Bs 6-8. If you want to go further, ask two or more taxi drivers before boarding. A normal ride by taxi from downtown to anywhere within the city shouldn’t cost more than 20 Bs. I’m told that there are over 20 different taxi companies in La Paz.

Downtown La Paz can be chaotic. Ironically, the great amount of congestion is due mainly to the public forms of transportation in the city. The Bolivian definition of "public transportation" includes any vehicles that involve more than just personal use. These vehicles are privately-owned and organized into routes by various union organizations. The two main alternatives are micros and trufis.

Micros or Microbuses are half-sized buses and minivans. These are the least expensive form of public transportation, costing about Bs 1.50-2.50 per ride. Most of these buses are in poor condition, but they survive the narrow roads and steep hills in all weather. Micros follow set routes and can be hailed and stopped at any spot along their routes. They often have children shouting out their routes from the car windows as they pass on the street.

Trufis are normal cars with specific routes. A trufi will generally cost you Bs 3. They offer boarding and dropping off anywhere along their route. While they are just normal-sized cars, it is common for seven or eight people to crowd into a five-seater car, often with their bundles of goods too!

There are well over 100 routes in La Paz, with micros/trufis going by every couple of minutes on each route. Each micro/trufi has a letter or number pasted on it in the window, along with signs indicating the main areas it visits. Mini buses have the bonus of fare collectors hanging out the side, yelling out routes in a rapid, auctioneer-like manner. This, however, is of little use to English speakers. You really need to work out with the hotel the numbers you need before setting out for the day.

The city’s buses tend to be very crowded throughout the day. The going can be slow, and you’ll be lucky to always find a seat. Be sure to keep an eye on your possessions while you’re on the go, as petty crime including the theft of bags is very high on the city buses.

Everyone will warn you about La Paz’s taxis. There have been several cases of violent muggings and even kidnapping in taxis. The authorities advise visitors to only take Radio Cabs (they will have the telephone number and their call centre listed above the cab). The taxis, or Gypsy Cabs, are dangerous to take at night. It is advisable to lock the doors and don't allow other people to share the journey with you.

Hotel Fuentes is an old hotel in the market area of La Paz, its colonial style and restored patio make it appealing. The hotel advertises that it is "where you will find the biggest comfort and hotel excellence, with the warmth and distinction that you deserve." The hotel has become popular with international budget travellers and it appears to serve this market quite well.

We had intended to stay one night but in the end had to make do with an inspection. I am thus loath to comment too much but I thought the rooms were fairly basic but the staff seemed very friendly. When we visited it was very tranquil and the manager assured me that it was always like this but something in the back of my mind reminded me of backpacker hostels in the past which were anything but tranquil and quiet.

Each one of the rooms has twin beds or double beds, telephone for local, national and international calls, cable TV with 90 channels and 24 hours service, and hot and cold water which the manager claims operates for 24 hours. Room service is available but the times are unclear to me. The hotel has a laundry service and one of the guests told me it works well and is remarkably cheap.

The receptionists speak English and Spanish and will help with tourist, restaurant suggestions, confirmation of plane tickets and other information. The free luggage safety deposit area would be useful if you are going to another part of the country and you don’t want to carry everything with you.

The only other features of the hotel that I am aware of are the steam sauna, the doctor who is claimed to be on staff, and the reasonably priced gift shop near the entrance.

This is down-market from the other two hotels that I reviewed but it looks clean and well-run and would certainly be an option for budget travellers. Young people in particular will find this area to their liking with plenty of cheap eating places and lots of other international travellers. Room rates start around US$35.00.

Hotel Presidente is the only five star hotel located in downtown La Paz, within the historical, cultural, political and commercial area of the city. The hotel is only a few steps away from museums, colonial streets and many of the historical monuments of the city. The main private companies and public offices surround the hotel, which would make it convenient for business people. The hotel is very near to Plaza Murillo, the main square, where the Government Palace, the Legislative Palace and Cathedral are located.

I had read somewhere that this was Ricky Martin’s favourite hotel in La Paz so I imagined it to be top quality. The room was surprisingly large and comfortable with decent enough views of the city and included all the amenities expected of a hotel of this standard (clean bathroom, TV, room service etc). However, the hotel is very tired and in dire need of a refurbishment.

Some people will love this place for the pure kitsch value - it's straight out of a seventies film. The mirrored ceiling in reception, the dusky blue bathroom suite, thick-pile carpet, dial up telephones, and retro chandeliers are all in amazing condition considering most things in the hotel have probably been unchanged for 30 years. This is certainly not for you if you are a minimalist fan who prefers white bathrooms and wooden floors.

The top floor La Bella Vista restaurant, which has panoramic views of the city, is average at best and very expensive for the region. The more modest La Kantuta restaurant on the first floor was hit and miss both in terms of the food and service. Breakfast service was very average. L’Exclusive is a pleasant place for a cocktail on level 17 and the 70s bar stools are great.

On the positive side the hotel has a business center (Internet 24 hours free), secretarial assistance, laundry and dry cleaning, a taxi service , 24 hour room service, non-smoking floors and a travel agency. There are a couple of executive floors with better room facilities. The Club Oasis has an indoor heated swimming pool, Turkish bath, dry sauna and massage services on level 4.

I had also read that the building did not meet world fire standards. There appeared to be no sprinkler system or smoke detectors in the rooms or corridors. The only safety feature I saw was a fire extinguisher at the end of the corridor and a fire alarm pull (break glass in case of fire). The only obvious stair escape route was adjacent to the elevators. If a fire was to start below the floor you are staying it could be difficult to get out of the building.

I would still recommend this hotel, but would warn people to go there knowing full well what they will be getting. It is not to conventional 5-star hotel standard in my view. Room price is about US$90.

The Hotel is located in the heart of the city's commercial center, near the beautiful Paseo del Prado and within walking distance of banks, travel agencies, government and office buildings, museums, and shops. It is about 20 minutes by car from the International Airport and 10 minutes from the bus terminal in good traffic conditions (not very often). We found the location excellent and enjoyed the many restaurants and cafes which are nearby.

The Hotel Eldorado has 75 rooms and suites. Our slightly dated and drab room had wall-to-wall carpeting, a private bath with shower and tub, central heating, direct-dial national and international telephone, and cable TV. The shower was hot (extremely important to us) and room service staff made us feel comfortable. Wireless internet was working well and was free. Room service was available from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. This is not a luxury hotel, but our room was clean, crisply presented and quiet.

The Hotel restaurant is open from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. and offers a national and international menu. The American Bar is open daily at 6:00 p.m. and has a warm and pleasant atmosphere where you can relax and enjoy the beverage of your choice. Breakfast was simple but satisfactory, but it was probably the least extensive of all the hotels we stayed at in South America.

The Hotel provides laundry and dry cleaning services, security boxes at no charge, baby-sitters and medical service upon request, car rental, fax, e-mail, typing services, photocopies, secretaries and bilingual translators upon request. The reception desk staff spoke good English and everyone was very helpful.

Room rates with continental breakfast are around US$46 for a double room and US$58 for a suite. There is a day rate between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. which is at a 50% discount on the published rates and includes the continental breakfast.



We were quite satisfied by the cost / service ratio and would recommend this hotel for budget minded travellers looking for something up-market from a hostel.